Method and device for producing laminated labels, and laminated labels obtained using the same

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method and device for producing laminated labels in which a supporting material web (TB) with labels (E) arranged thereon is advanced to a laminated film deposit station ( 30 ). A laminated film web (LB) is deposited on the supporting material web (TB) in said deposit station. Afterwards, the resulting laminated label web (EB) is advanced to a separating station ( 40 ). The invention additionally provides that before the supporting material web (TB) is advanced to the laminated film deposit station ( 30 ), the labels (E) are individually deposited on the supporting material web (TB) while forming spaces (Z) situated in a longitudinal direction of the supporting material web (TB). Afterwards, individual segments of the laminated label web (EB) are separated in the separating station ( 40 ) by means of at least one cut which runs essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the laminated label web (EB) and which is placed in the spaces (Z). The invention also relates to a device for producing the laminated labels and to the laminated labels produced using the same.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a process and an apparatus for producinglaminate labels.

BACKGROUND

In practice laminate labels have been produced by a procedure in which asupporting material web with an endless label web arranged thereon isfed to a laminate film deposit or application station in which thetransparent laminate film or foil web is applied to the supportingmaterial web in such a way that the label web is received sandwich-likebetween the supporting material web and the laminate film web. As theside of the laminate film web which faces the supporting material web isprovided with an adhesive coating, the laminate film then sticks to thesupporting material. Thereupon the laminate label web consisting of thelaminate film web, the label web and the supporting material web is fedto a separating station in the form of a stamping station in whichindividual labels are cut out of the laminate label web by means of arotating stamping cylinder. For that purpose, at its peripheral wall,the stamping cylinder has at least one blade contour corresponding tothe shape or contour of the actual label.

That operating procedure in the state of the art has proven to bedisadvantageous insofar as different stamping cylinders have to be usedfor different label sizes and for different label shapes or contours. Asstamping cylinders of that kind are comparatively costly to produce, thecosts involved in an apparatus for producing laminate labels areincreased. Furthermore, changing from one kind of label to a kind oflabel that differs therefrom in regard to size and/or shape involves aconsiderable assembly expenditure.

In addition the known laminate labels produced in that way suffer fromthe disadvantage that dirt and/or moisture can penetrate between theactual label and the laminate film or sheet, by way of the edge of thelabels applied to the article to be labeled, as the laminate filmterminates flush with the label material at the edge. If laminate labelsof that kind are used, for example, in machines and the like in a dirtyand/or humid atmosphere, then they can become illegible or detached fromthe machine.

GB-A-2 274 268 discloses a process and an apparatus of the kind setforth in the opening part of this specification. In the known process,after the laminate film web has been applied to the supporting materialweb which is already provided with the labels, the laminate label webproduced in that way is fed to a stamping station in which individuallabels are stamped out of the laminate label web. In that case howeverthe supporting material web is not stamped therethrough so that thestamped-out laminate labels remain on the supporting material web whichmoves on continuously. After the stamping-out station, the rest of thelaminate film web is pulled off the laminate labels and the supportingmaterial web and wound on to a roll which is provided separately forthat purpose.

In addition EP-A-0 212 219 discloses a process for producing labels andthe labels themselves. That known production process provides forapplying to the supporting material web is provided with an adhesivelayer on one side, individual folded sheets of paper which adhere to thesupporting material web as a result of the adhesive layer providedthereon. Then, applied to the supporting material web and the individuallabels disposed thereon is a laminate film web, the width of whichcorresponds to the width of the supporting material web.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a process and anapparatus for producing laminate labels with which laminate labels thatdiffer in terms of shape and size can be produced in a simple fashion.

In regard to the process the foregoing object is attained by thefeatures of claim 1. In contrast to the state of the art in which alaminate label is stamped in a single step out of the laminate label webconsisting of the laminate film web, the label web and the supportingmaterial web, the process according to the invention provides that in afirst step the labels are arranged individually on the supportingmaterial web, while maintaining intermediate spaces between the labelsin the longitudinal direction of the supporting material web. Thereupon,in a second step, after the preferably transparent laminate film, whichalso preferably has an adhesive coating on its side facing towards thesupporting material web, has been applied to the supporting materialweb, an individual segment of the laminate label web formed in that wayis separated off by means of a cut which extends substantiallytransversely with respect to the direction of advance movement of thelabel web. Then, the actual label is obtained from that segment of thelaminate label web by pulling the supporting material off the label andthe laminate film.

That operating procedure has the advantage that there is no need to havedifferent stamping or cutting tools for different labels. On thecontrary, the supporting material web, which is preferably wound up toform a roll, can be ‘equipped’ with labels of the appropriate shape andsize, in the first step. That first step can in principle be implementedin the apparatus for producing the laminate label itself. It is howeveralso possible for that first step to be implemented in a label-equippingapparatus which is specifically provided for that purpose and which isarranged separately from the apparatus for producing the laminate label,which apparatus includes the laminate film deposit station and theseparating station. As the supporting material web is frequently notproduced by the user of the production apparatus for the laminatelabels, the user of the apparatus only has to provide rolls with labelswhich differ in terms of size and shape, and keep such rolls on hand inorder to be able to produce different labels. Furthermore, upon a changefrom one type of label to another type of label which differs in termsof shape and size, there is no need for an assembly operation forreplacing any tools, as is the case in the state of the art in regard tothe stamping cylinder, but it is only necessary to fit the roll of thebacking material web with the other labels into the productionapparatus. In addition, the present method reduces the stoppage times ofthe production apparatus, as complicated dismantling and assemblyprocedures for the stamping cylinder are no longer required, but, asalready indicated above, it is only necessary to replace the supportingmaterial web or the roll thereof.

In principle it is possible for the cut for separating the individualsegments of the laminate label web to be implemented precisely along thetwo edges of the label, which extend substantially transversely withrespect to the longitudinal extent of the supporting material web. Inthat case, two cuts are necessary to separate an individual segment ofthe laminate label web, which cuts have to be formed in the respectiveintermediate space. If, in contrast, only a single cut is produced,preferably in approximately the center between two successive labels inthe intermediate space, then the number of cuts required to produce asegment or a laminate label is reduced. Moreover, the laminate filmprojects beyond the label at least at those two edges. That projectingportion can be used not only to attach the laminate label better to thearticle to be labeled therewith, but also, as the film adheres sealinglyto the article, to prevent the ingress of dirt and/or moisture betweenthe laminate film and the label.

In order to increase the adhesion of the label to the article to belabeled, it can further be provided that, on the side facing towardsthe-backing material, the label is provided with an adhesive or gluecoating which is of such a nature that the label is fixed on the backingmaterial, but can be readily detached from the backing material. So thatthe laminate film and the label which is preferably provided with anadhesive coating can be readily detached from the backing material whenreleasing a label from a label segment, it can further be provided thatthe backing material is provided with an anti-adhesion coating,preferably a silicone coating. In that arrangement that anti-adhesioncoating should be of such a nature that the laminate film and the labeladhere to a certain degree to the backing material, but upon detachmentno constituents of the backing material remain adhering to the laminatefilm and/or the label.

If the labels are arranged on the supporting material web asymmetricallywith respect to the longitudinal axis thereof, that affords a grippingedge which makes it easier to detach an individual laminate label from asegment of the laminate label web, which is produced by the separatingstation, and to apply the laminate label to the article to be labeledtherewith. In particular the laminate label is not damaged therebyand/or the adhesive coating of the laminate foil or the label is notrendered useless by contact with, for example, the hand.

If in that case a laminate film web is applied to the supportingmaterial web provided with the individual labels, the width of which(that is to say the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal extentof the supporting material web or the laminate film web in the plane ofthe web) is less than the width of the supporting material web, thatmakes it possible to achieve a saving in material in regard to thelaminate film as, for example, an existing gripping edge on thesupporting material web does not need to be covered over by the laminatefilm.

In order to facilitate detachment of a laminate label from thesupporting material web, the supporting material web can be providedwith a stamped-out portion, in the region of the label. In order to beable to apply a laminate label to an article to be labeled therewith,the stamped-out portion is first pulled off the laminate label web andthen the remaining supporting material.

In order to facilitate detachment of the stamped-out portion, it canfurther be provided that the label is provided with a perforation whichextends approximately in the longitudinal direction of the supportingmaterial web and which is arranged in the region of an edge.

It has proven to be advantageous for controlling the separating stationfor the labels to be arranged on the supporting material web withintermediate spaces of equal size therebetween.

The laminate film web can simply be laid on the supporting material web.In order to achieve particularly good adhesion of the laminate film webto the supporting material web, it has further proven to be advantageousfor the laminate film web to be rolled on to the supporting material webin the laminate foil deposit or application station.

Particularly flexible use of the process according to the invention canbe achieved if the labels which are arranged on the supporting materialweb are printed upon, prior to being fed to the laminate film deposit orapplication station, preferably in the apparatus for producing thelaminate labels.

In regard to the apparatus, the foregoing object is attained by thefeatures of claim 9. By virtue of the provision of a cutting devicewhich produces a severing cut extending substantially transversely withrespect to the direction of advance movement of the label web, theapparatus according to the invention does not require a stampingcylinder which is to be adapted to the respective label. This meanstherefore that the production apparatus according to the invention doesnot involve any dismantling and assembly procedures and cost for suchcylinders.

The cutting device can be formed by the most widely varyingarrangements. Preferably, the cutting device has at least one bladewhich is movable reversibly perpendicularly to the surface extent of thelabel web and which can be arranged at the top side or the underside ofthe label web. That blade co-operates with a counterpart blade which isoptionally also movable and which is then arranged either at theunderside or the top side, respectively, of the label web.

In order to be able to individually print the labels according to therespective wishes of the individual user of the production apparatus, itcan further be provided that a printing station having one or moreprinting heads is disposed upstream of the laminate film deposit stationin the feed direction of the supporting material web.

In order to be able to apply the laminate film web to the supportingmaterial web in a bubble-free manner and in such a way that it is heldfirmly thereto, it can further be provided that the laminate filmdeposit station has one or more pressure rollers which extendsubstantially over the width of the laminate film web.

As has already been pointed out, the laminate film edge which projectsbeyond the supporting material of the finished label prevents theingress of dirt and/or moisture between the laminate film and the label.At the same time, the projecting edge portion of the laminate film canbe used to apply the label to the article to be labeled therewith.Moreover, that affords the possibility that no additional adhesive orglue layer has to be applied to the side of the label which faces awayfrom the laminate film. If an adhesive or glue layer of that kind isprovided at the side of the label which faces away from the laminatefilm then the projecting edge portion of the laminate film serves at thesame time as additional protection against unauthorized detachment ofthe label from the article to be labeled therewith. As the label itselfadheres to the articles, parts of the layer of the label which carry theprinting applied thereto are also detached when the laminate film ispulled off the adhering label. In contrast to known laminate labels inwhich the laminate film terminates at the edge of the label flushtherewith, the present label can be removed by being pulled off at theadhesive side without damage.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the present invention is described in greater detailhereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of an apparatus for producinglaminate labels,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a supporting material web used in the apparatusshown in FIG. 1, with individual labels arranged thereon, and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a segment of a laminate label according to theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 diagrammatically shows an apparatus 10 for producing laminatelabels LE (see FIG. 3). The housing which encloses the individualstructural units of the apparatus 10, which are described in greaterdetail hereinafter, is partially removed in FIG. 1. Only the rear wall10 a which extends substantially vertically with respect to FIG. 1, theright-hand side wall 10 b which also extends vertically with respect toFIG. 1, and the bottom 10 c which extends horizontally also again withreference to FIG. 1 are illustrated therein.

The production apparatus 10 includes a supply station 20 for receiving alaminate film web LB which is rolled up to form a supply roll 22, alaminate film deposit or application station 30 and a separating station40.

The supply station 20 for the laminate film roll 22 is substantiallyformed by a shaft 24 which is mounted rotatably in the vertical wall 10a and on to which the supply roll 22 can be pushed and locked axiallythereon by a locking device (not shown). The laminate film or sheet webLB is pulled off the supply roll 22 in the direction of the arrow X andpassed over a direction-changing roller 26 to the laminate film depositstation 30.

In the laminate film deposit station 30, the laminate film web LB isapplied to the supporting material web TB which in relation to FIG. 1 isfed substantially horizontally in the direction of the arrow Y in FIG. 1(that is to say, with respect to FIG. 1, from right to left). As can beseen from FIG. 1 the supporting material web TB is passed through anopening 10 ba in the right-hand side wall 10 b, into the interior of theproduction apparatus 10. It will be appreciated that there is also thepossibility of providing a corresponding supply roll for the supportingmaterial web TB in the interior of the production apparatus 10.

As can be seen from FIG. 2, the supporting material web TB has aplurality of individual labels E which are arranged in succession in thelongitudinal direction of the supporting material web TB, maintainingintermediate spaces Z of approximately equal size therebetween. Thelabels E are arranged on the supporting material web TB asymmetricallyrelative to the longitudinal axis thereof, that is to say they areoriented closer to the one longitudinal edge of the supporting materialweb TB than the other longitudinal edge.

On their side which faces towards the supporting material web TB, thelabels E have an adhesive coating, whereas at its side which facestowards the labels E, the supporting material web TB is provided with anon-stick or anti-adhesion coating which prevents the labels E fromadhering to the supporting material web TB but permits the labels E tocling to the supporting material web TB so that the labels E are fixedin position on the supporting material web TB.

As can further be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, in the region of each label Ethe supporting material web TB has a stamped-out portion A which issmaller than the label E and which is so arranged in relation to thelabel E that it projects beyond the label E at three edge sides thereof.That stamped-out portion A makes it easier to pull off the laminatelabel LE (see FIG. 3) as the material of the stamped-out portion A isfirstly pulled off the laminate label LE and then the rest of thesupporting material of the supporting material web TB can be readilyremoved from the laminate label LE.

Finally it can also be seen from FIG. 2 that, at the longitudinal edgewhich is in the region of the stamped-out portion A, each label E has aperforation which extends substantially parallel to the longitudinaledge.

In the laminate film deposit station 30, the preferably transparentlaminate film web LB which is provided with an adhesive or glue coatingat its side which faces towards the supporting material web TB isfirstly applied to or deposited on the supporting material web TB bymeans of a guide roller 32 and then by means of a laminating roller 34.As can be seen from FIG. 3, the laminate film web LB is of a smallerwidth than the supporting material web TB. The width of the laminatefilm web LB is denoted by the double-headed arrow bl and the width ofthe supporting material web is denoted by the double-headed arrow bt. Atthe same time the laminate film web LB is deposited on the supportingmaterial web TB in flush relationship with the supporting material webedge, towards which the label E is also moved closer. That affords agripping edge GR which makes it easier to apply an individual laminatelabel LE to an article to be labeled.

As can also be seen from FIG. 3 the width bl of the laminate films LB isso selected that, when terminating flush at the one longitudinal edge ofthe supporting material web TB (that is to say with its left-hand edgein relation to FIG. 3), it terminates flush with the edge of thestamped-out portion A which lies outside the label E (that is to say theright-hand edge of the stamped-out portion A, with respect to FIG. 3).

After the laminate film web LB has been applied by a laminatingprocedure by means of the laminating roller 34 the result is the labelweb EB which is then fed to the separating station 40. In the separatingstation 40 individual segments S of the label web EB (see FIG. 3) areseparated from the label web EB by means of a cut which extendssubstantially transversely with respect to the longitudinal extent ofthe label web EB and which is formed in the intermediate spaces Z. Thatcut is produced by a blade (not shown) which extends substantiallytransversely with respect to the longitudinal extent of the label web EBand which is movable reversibly in a vertical direction, with respect toFIG. 1. That blade can be in the form of a top blade or a bottom blade.It co-operates with a counterpart blade which is correspondinglyarranged at the top side or the underside, respectively, of the labelweb EB and which itself is in turn movable but which can also bearranged stationarily. The separating station 40 separates off theindividual segments which, in relation to FIG. 1, to the left of theseparating station 40, drop into a suitable catch device (not shown).

The procedure involved in production of a laminate label LE according tothe invention is as follows:

Firstly, the individual labels E of the desired shape and size, whichcan already bear the perforation P, are deposited on or applied to thesupporting material web TB in an apparatus which is possibly arrangedseparately from the production apparatus 10 according to the invention,in such a way that the intermediate spaces Z exist in the longitudinaldirection of the supporting material web TB. Then, or before that, thesupporting material web TB can be provided with the stamped-out portionsA.

The supporting material web TB prepared in that way is thereupon fed tothe laminate film deposit station 30 in which the laminate film web LBis uniformly applied to the supporting material web TB. The supportingmaterial web TB with the laminate film web LB as the label web EB isthen fed to the separating device 40 where individual segments S of thelabel web EB are separated therefrom. That is effected by a cut whichextends substantially transversely with respect to the longitudinalextent of the supporting material web TB and which is formed in theintermediate spaces Z between the individual labels E. Then, from theseparated-off label segments S, the individual laminate labels LE can bestuck to the article to be labeled by pulling off the supportingmaterial in the region of the stamped-out portion A and thereupon bypulling off the rest of the supporting material. In that procedure thesegment can be held at the gripping edge GR so that it is not soiled orcontaminated and the adhesive coating on the label E and the laminatefilm L is not rendered useless. As the cut is implemented in theintermediate space Z and the supporting material is completely detachedfrom the label E and the laminate film, the laminate film projectsbeyond the label E, as is shown in FIG. 3. As a result, the laminatelabel E can be applied to an article to be labeled therewith, in aparticularly reliable fashion, without the danger of dirt and/ormoisture penetrating between the laminate film and the label E.

What is claimed is:
 1. A process for producing laminate labelscomprising: individually applying labels to a supporting material webwhile maintaining intermediate spaces between the labels, feeding thesupporting material web with labels arranged thereon to a laminate filmdeposit station in which a laminate film web is deposited on thesupporting material web to form a laminate label web, feeding thelaminate label web to a separating station, wherein the side of eachlabel which faces away from the laminate film web is provided with anadhesion coating and the side of supporting material web which facestoward the labels is provided with an anti-adhesion coating, and furtherwherein the laminate film web has a width smaller than the width of thesupporting material web, and separating off individual segments of thelaminate label web in a separating station by a cut which extendssubstantially transversely with respect to the longitudinal extent ofthe laminate label web and which is formed in the intermediate spacesbetween two successive labels.
 2. A process as set forth in claim 1wherein the cut is formed approximately in the center of theintermediate space between two successive labels.
 3. A process as setforth in claim 1 wherein the labels are arranged on the supportingmaterial web asymmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axisthereof.
 4. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the supportingmaterial web is provided with a stamped-out portion in the region ofeach label.
 5. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein each label isprovided with a perforation which extends approximately in thelongitudinal direction of the supporting material web and which isarranged in the region of an edge of the label.
 6. A process as setforth in claim 1 wherein the labels are arranged on the supportingmaterial web while maintaining intermediate spaces of equal size.
 7. Aprocess as set forth in claim 1 wherein the laminate film web is rolledon to the supporting material web in the laminate film deposit station.8. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the labels arranged on thesupporting material web are printed upon before being fed to thelaminate film deposit station.
 9. A system for producing laminate labelscomprising: a laminate film web a laminate film deposit station in whichthe laminate film web can be applied to a supporting material webcarrying labels while maintaining intermediate spaces between thelabels, wherein the side of the labels facing away from the laminatefilm web is provided with an adhesion coating and the side of thesupporting material web facing toward the labels is provided with ananti-adhesion coating; a supply station comprising a supply roll for thelaminate film web, wherein the laminate film web is of a smaller widththan the width of the supporting material web; a cutting device whichproduces a cut extending substantially transversely with respect to thefeed direction of the label web in intermediate spaces between theindividual labels on the label web to produce individual label segmentseach comprising a segment of the supporting material web, a label and asegment of laminate film web; and a separating station downstream of thelaminate film deposit station in the feed direction of the label web forseparating the individual label segments.
 10. A system as set forth inclaim 9 wherein the cutting device produces the cut approximately in thecenter of an intermediate space between two successive labels.
 11. Asystem as set forth in claim 9 wherein the cutting device has at leastone blade which is reversibly movable substantially perpendicularly tothe surface extent of the label web.
 12. A system as set forth in claim9 wherein the laminate film deposit station has at least one laminatingroller for applying the laminate film.
 13. A system as set forth inclaim 9 further comprising a printing unit for printing on thesupporting material web upstream of the laminate film deposit station inthe feed direction of the supporting material web.